Radford Visitor’s Center

Stop by the Radford Visitor’s Center (inside Glencoe Museum) for maps, things to do and places to eat, shop and stay while you’re here. You’ll also find local books featuring Mary Draper Ingles and souvenirs including Virginia is for Lovers merchandise and locally made crafts and gifts.

Take a guided tour through Glencoe Museum and walk back in time to explore another era. Glencoe was the 1875 home of General Gabriel C. Wharton, CSA, and his wife, Anne Rebecca Radford. The museum features regional history exhibits, an art gallery and an authentic one room school house. There is no charge to tour the Museum but donations are accepted.

Adjacent to the Radford Visitor’s Center is the Mary Draper Ingles Cultural Heritage Park. Come see the Mary Draper Ingles statue and explore the park!

Explore the Area

Radford is centrally located in the heart of the New River Valley just off I-81 between Exit 109 and Exit 105. With easy access to Virginia Tech, Claytor Lake, Floyd and the Blue Ridge Parkway, the City offers plenty of accommodation choices and over 40 restaurants! The Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA) is about 45 minutes away and provides many frequent and direct flights.

Bordered on three sides by the New River and neatly tucked into the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Radford features a delightfully picturesque setting for a diverse and charming array of activities. A small city with big opportunities, visitors can enjoy a rich culture and interesting historical sites, as well as an abundance of recreational offerings.

Two of Radford’s 14 parks offer ready access to the New River, where enthusiasts can boat, kayak, canoe, or tube on the gentle, clear water. Tube, kayak and bike rentals can be found in Bisset Park seasonally or by calling 540-731-5202 for reservations.

The fish are also constantly biting, with muskie and smallmouth bass being the favorites. Take to the river on your own or leave it to the local experts and book a guided fishing trip. The parks also offer numerous picnicking, hiking, and recreation opportunities, as well as four stops on the Virginia Wildlife & Birding Trail.

Points on Virginia’s Civil War Trail and Wilderness Road can also be found in Radford.

Radford University hosts numerous theater, art, dance, and music productions throughout the year that are open to the public. Support the Highlanders at one of their home games. You’ll also find special events, bowling, movies and restaurants on campus. The Planetarium and Museum of Earth Sciences are favorites for the kids and the entire family.

Radford Visitor's Center

The first permanent settlement within Radford’s present boundaries occurred at the New River crossing of the Wilderness Road. This trail extended westward from the valley of Virginia through southwest Virginia and on to the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky. This pathway became known as the Wilderness Road and with later development it became known as the Stagecoach Road. Stagecoach Road would later be called the Valley Pike and eventually what is now US 11. Radford’s section of this road is known as Rock Road and here in 1762 William Ingles and his wife, Mary Draper Ingles, established Ingles’ Ferry. The ferry became the nucleus of a commercial center which was to have, among other businesses, a tavern, blacksmith’s shop and a general store.